Casa Burés

Interior design project by Estudio Vilablanch and TDB Arquitectura Barcelona / Spain / 2019

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> The interior design project of the entire building (26 residences + common areas) was carried out by Estudio Vilablanch and TDB Arquitectura. 


> The challenge was to transform a historical and listed 19th Century building of Barcelona into 26 exclusive residences of the 21st Century with high-quality common areas, while preserving its original rich heritage.


> Casa Burés interior design project was recently awarded “Co-living complex of the year" at the Frame Awards 2020. The project received previously several recognitions such as Winner at the Archmarathon Selection 2019 (Milan), Winner at Premios Arquitectura Plus 2019 (Madrid), Finalist at the 2019 Best of Year Awards (New York), Finalist at the Dezeen Awards 2019 (London) and Finalist at the Créateurs Design Awards 2020 (Paris). 


THE BUILDING


Casa Burés was built between 1900 and 1905 by the Catalan architect Francesc Berenguer i Mestres, a close collaborator of Antoni Gaudí. The building was named after its first owner, Francesc Burés, a businessman with one of Spain's most successful textile companies. 


The building has 7.700 square meters distributed over six floors and is listed since 1979, enjoying the highest protection category as cultural heritage. The building was nearly abandoned for some years and some original elements were vandalized. After three years of a careful restoration work by the best artisans, Casa Burés has emerged as one of the most representative Modernist-style buildings in Barcelona.


INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT 


The interior design project of Casa Burés had been carried out by Estudio Vilablanch and TDB Arquitectura, commissioned by Bonavista Developments.


The challange: transformation of a historical and listed builging of Barcelona into 26 exclusive residences with high-quality common areas, while preserving its original rich heritage. 


The interior design project had two goals: to recover and highlight the building's original decorative elements, and to adapt the housing to contemporary regulatory and functional needs in terms of distribution, technology, safety, accessibility, comfort and community. 


There was a key and strict strategy: all the original architectural and decorative existing elements were restored, while new materials were added when needed. The new materials should not compete nor imitate the original ones. 


The team defined three interior design concepts for this residential building matching the intrinsic qualities of each existing space: three lofts and the basement common areas recovered their original industrial character; two palatial residences were carefully restored respecting the existing modernist elements, and 21 flats were conceived as contemporary residences with rich original elements. The conceptualization included design and definition of materials and finishes(pavements, coatings, colors, kitchens, bathrooms, doors, lighting project, furniture, etc). 



Lofts and common areas


Interior design concept: recovering its original industrial character


The ground floor and the basement were originally used for Burés textile industry. They did not have a modernist decoration, but a strong industrial personality. The new interior concept recovered this industrial character: big open spaces with high ceilings, concrete floors, iron columns and old brick walls were left uncovered, kitchens and furniture that strengthen the industrial character... The ground floor was transformed into three lofts and the basement into amenity areas for community use (a swimming pool, a spa, a gym, a cellar, an open kitchen, a terrace, spaces for social events…), recovering their original industrial aesthetics. 


 


Palatial residences


Interior design concept: respect and restoration of the existing elements


The original Burés palacelike residence, located on the main floor, was split into two 500 square meters magnificent flats. Being the richest floor in terms of decorative modernist elements, all of them were carefully restored into the noblest flats (mosaics and marquetry in pavements, stained-glass windows, frescoed walls and ceilings, wooden decorative elements, ceilings with reliefs…) The original elements were restored, while new materials were added when needed. The new materials and furniture pieces were equally refined but silent, not very ornate, light and with colors in  harmony with the space, in order to highlight the valuable historic elements and not compete neither imitate them, facilitating a silent integration in the space.



Apartments & Attics
Interior design concept: the contrast between new and old elements


Flats located in the upper floors, originally conceived for rent, were transformed into 16 apartments and 5 attics. These 21 residences combine strong original modernist spaces with more contemporary ones. The old elements were found in the spaces located in the crown of the building that faces the façade; these original elements were restored. In the interior areas of the flats, where the original elements didn't exist or couldn’t be preserved, the decision was to incorporate new materials that would allow the contrast between old and new ones: white color and oak wood were added as main elements in order not to compete, but to highlight and contrast the original decorative elements. 


 


Project: Casa Burés
City: Barcelona (Spain)
Project size: 7700 square meters
Total number of units in the project: 26 residences + common areas
Interior design: Estudio Vilablanch + TDB Arquitectura
Developer: Bonavista Developments
Furniture: MINIM
Kitchens: bulthaup Barcelona
Bathrooms: MAT by MINIM
Photographers: Jordi Folch & Jose Hevia
Artisans and professionals involved in the restoration: Vitralls Bonet, Max Rudgers, Taller Salvador Escrivá, Rudi Ranesi, Taller ProArtis Conservació Restauració, Ebanistería Llorens, Abac Conservació i Restauració, Rom-Aplic, Jordi Pessarrodona, Ascensores Camprubí and Urcotex.
Art pieces of the apartment: Marie France Veyrat

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    > The interior design project of the entire building (26 residences + common areas) was carried out by Estudio Vilablanch and TDB Arquitectura.  > The challenge was to transform a historical and listed 19th Century building of Barcelona into 26 exclusive residences of the 21st Century with high-quality common areas, while preserving its original rich heritage. > Casa Burés interior design project was recently awarded “Co-living complex of the year" at the Frame...

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